One of the six women nominated last week by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for non-career ambassadorial appointments, Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu, has emerged as a standout candidate, bringing to the table over 15 years of legal, diplomatic and humanitarian experience.
Her nomination forms part of the 32 career and non-career diplomats whose names were forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.
According to the Presidency, the nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strategic bilateral relations; among them China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and South Africa, as well as permanent missions including the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union. Their specific postings will be announced after Senate confirmation.
Ufochukwu’s career profile presents a blend of legal expertise, policy advisory experience and grassroots advocacy, traits that insiders say make her well-positioned to represent Nigeria’s interests abroad.
A dynamic corporate lawyer and member of the International Bar Association, she has built a strong record in litigation, mediation, international arbitration and cross-border advisory. Her most recent public service role was as Special Adviser (Legal) to the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, a position in which she provided legal guidance on intellectual property, technology regulation and bilateral collaborations with global tech firms.
Before then, she served as Resident Lawyer and Associate Partner at Alpha Juris Chambers in Abuja, where she handled high-profile arbitrations and court proceedings, resolving disputes valued at more than N500 million. She also led corporate advisory services, mentored young lawyers and facilitated policy planning for federal ministries.
Her earlier career includes a stint as Partner at The Law Bond Solicitors, where she oversaw trials, appeals and arbitrations, expanding the firm’s client base through strategic outreach. She has also served in political mobilisation, sitting on the APC Contact and Mobilisation Committee (South-East) during the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign.
Beyond the courtroom, Ufochukwu has built an entrepreneurial footprint as Managing Director of two Abuja-based companies, Linsam Nigeria Ltd and Valerie Cakes and Treats, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to social impact.
Through her NGO, the Nkechiamaka Care Foundation for Women and Children, she has provided pro bono legal aid, mentorship and economic empowerment support to over 500 widows and children, advocating against harmful cultural practices and promoting child rights.
Her academic background includes an LL.B from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, a B.L. from the Nigerian Law School, and ongoing postgraduate studies for an LL.M in International Human Rights Law and Diplomacy at Inview University of East London.
Widely travelled across Europe, the Middle East, the United States and West Africa, she has participated in international bar activities and humanitarian networks, sharpening her cross-cultural communication and global engagement skills. She is fluent in English and Igbo, with conversational proficiency in French.
If confirmed by the Senate, Ufochukwu is expected to bring her blend of legal depth, diplomatic sensitivity and development-driven advocacy to Nigeria’s foreign relations, as the Tinubu administration prepares to announce more ambassadorial nominees in the coming weeks.
